Vienna, August 02, 2026 – The Europe Today: Austria has registered its highest-ever temperature for the month of July, with the mercury soaring to 40.3 degrees Celsius in the town of Wieselburg in Lower Austria, surpassing the previous national July record by 0.2 degrees, according to the country’s meteorological authorities.
The new record exceeded earlier July highs recorded in the states of Upper Austria and Lower Austria, as well as the previous national July record of 39.7 degrees Celsius, which was set in the state of Carinthia on July 27, 1983.
Meteorologists warned that the ongoing heatwave is expected to surpass the intensity of the record-breaking 2013 episode, potentially making it the most severe heatwave ever recorded in Austria.
Austria is currently experiencing its second major heatwave of the summer season. Researchers estimate that the combined impact of the two extreme weather events has already caused economic losses of approximately €1.4 billion this summer.
The country’s national meteorological service has issued a warning for another week of exceptionally high temperatures beginning on Monday, attributing the prolonged heat to the persistence of hot subtropical air masses and a high-pressure system advancing from southwestern Europe.
Climate researchers at the University of Graz said the increasing frequency and intensity of Austria’s heatwaves are largely driven by human activity, estimating that around 80 percent of extreme heatwave events are linked to human-induced global warming.
Experts also cautioned that the prolonged extreme heat poses significant risks to public health, ecosystems, agriculture, and infrastructure. They warned that rising temperatures are contributing to worsening drought conditions, placing additional strain on water resources while significantly increasing the threat of wildfires across the country.
The latest record underscores the growing challenges posed by climate change across Europe, as countries continue to experience increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events.
